I Seriously Didn't Want to Be the Martial Alliance Leader

Chapter 59: Chapter 58: Zuo Feiyu

Wei Guangming’s expression was grim.

’This Elder Qi may have come easily, but leaving won’t be so simple.’

"Bring him in!"

A moment later, Elder Qi walked in, beaming, followed by a handsome and dashing young master dressed in a moon-white brocade robe and a White Jade Crown.

"Elder Qi, you actually dare to return to my Iron Armor Sect? You’ve got some nerve! Are you here to return what you owe us?"

Wei Guangming glared at Elder Qi.

Elder Qi chuckled. "Sect Leader Wei, they’re just worldly possessions. Why fuss over them?

I may not have been much help to you inside Sealed Demon Valley, but I can certainly help you outside of it.

I’ve come today to introduce someone to you, and to find a brighter future for your Iron Armor Sect."

With that, Elder Qi pointed to the young man and said, "This is the Young Manor Master of Cyan Blade Manor, Zuo Feiyu."

Wei Guangming hurriedly cupped his fists. "So it is Master Zuo in person. Forgive me for not welcoming you properly."

Cyan Blade Manor was the greatest power in the border region of Ning Province. Its Manor Master, ’Qingfeng Wuheng’ Zuo Tianyuan, was a Sword Dao Grandmaster at the Primordial Pill Realm.

While Zuo Tianyuan was traveling in the Central Plains Martial World, his unique swordsmanship, the *Nine Cyan Blade Swords*, was even praised by an Elder of the Lifting Heaven Sword Pavilion, a Central Plains Sword Dao Major Sect.

Of the Nine Realms of Martial Dao, only those who reached the Seventh Realm, Primordial Pill, were qualified to be called Grandmasters. It meant they had truly forged a Martial Dao path of their own.

Moreover, over the years, Cyan Blade Manor had recruited countless experts. The number of Honored Guest Elders and Tributors under its banner was immense, giving it a power and prestige the Iron Armor Sect could not hope to match.

This Zuo Feiyu was not just Zuo Tianyuan’s son. At his young age, he had already reached the Qi Casting Realm. His strength was on par with the younger generation from top-tier major factions, and he was a renowned prodigy in the Ning Province Martial World.

"Sect Leader Wei, you’re too kind. I heard you were injured. I have a Healing Elixir from Medicine King Valley here that can help you recover quickly."

Zuo Feiyu took out a porcelain vial and handed it to Wei Guangming.

Wei Guangming accepted the elixir and asked cautiously, "I cannot accept a reward without merit. Master Zuo, may I ask your purpose in visiting my Iron Armor Sect?"

Cyan Blade Manor and the Iron Armor Sect had never had any dealings. With Zuo Feiyu suddenly arriving and even gifting him a Healing Elixir, Wei Guangming was unsure of the other party’s intentions.

But having navigated the Jianghu for so long, there was one thing he was certain of.

In this Jianghu, there was no such thing as a free lunch.

Zuo Feiyu laughed heartily. "Sect Leader Wei is a straightforward man, so I won’t beat around the bush.

Ning Province is a vital northern passage, bordering the Central Plains to the south, the Grassland to the west, and Desolate Heaven Ridge to the east. As such, it has always been a place where dragons and snakes mingle.

Years ago, the Celestial Martial Alliance of Ning Province gathered the heroes of the Jianghu to rebel against the Court, but they were eventually pacified and reorganized into the Zhenwu Hall. After that, Ning Province enjoyed a few days of peace.

But in recent years, the Zhenwu Hall’s power has waned, and the chaos in Ning Province has begun to show.

My father wishes to reform Cyan Blade Manor into the Nine Swords Alliance and invite the heroes from the Land of Youning to join.

The Iron Armor Sect is a major power in Pan Yang City, and Sect Leader Wei, you built it to its current scale through your own efforts. You are a true hero of our time.

Therefore, I volunteered to my father to come and invite you, Sect Leader Wei, to join our Nine Swords Alliance and achieve great things together!"

Wei Guangming’s expression changed slightly. "You’re planning a rebellion?"

The Sun-Swapping Alliance had just started an uprising in Yan Province. Upon hearing that Cyan Blade Manor was forming a "Nine Swords Alliance," Wei Guangming’s first thought was that they were also planning a rebellion.

"Of course not. Ning Province isn’t Yan Province. Things haven’t reached the point of rebellion."

Zuo Feiyu smiled. "It’s just that chaos is brewing in Ning Province, and all the powers are vying for dominance. Cyan Blade Manor is merely trying to protect itself amidst the turmoil.

A single sword breaks easily, but nine swords can both attack and defend. That is the origin of the name ’Nine Swords Alliance.’

Sect Leader Wei, it’s certainly impressive for your Iron Armor Sect to dominate Pan Yang City, but have you ever thought of extending your influence across all of Ning Province?

Join our Nine Swords Alliance, become one of the nine swords, and my father and I will absolutely not treat you unfairly in the future."

Elder Qi chimed in from the side, "Sect Leader Wei, both Alliance Leader Zuo and Master Zuo are men of great ambition.

The Nine Swords Alliance is called the Nine Swords Alliance, but it certainly won’t be limited to just nine swords. More people will surely join in the future.

However, the alliance is just being formed. If you join now, you’ll be treated as one of the founding members.

Now that the Yin Mountain Five Ghosts are gone, I’ve just been drifting aimlessly through the Jianghu all alone.

It wasn’t until I started following the Young Master that I realized a true man, born between heaven and earth, is meant to do great things!"

Wei Guangming fell into deep thought.

’Cyan Blade Manor is forming the Nine Swords Alliance. With Zuo Tianyuan’s reputation, it’s bound to be a formidable force.’

’Zuo Feiyu came to invite me personally. If I refuse, I’m afraid I’ll make an enemy of him.’

’At the same time, the Iron Armor Sect has suffered a devastating blow. If we can get some support from the Nine Swords Alliance, we can also recover our strength more quickly.’

Taking a deep breath, Wei Guangming said in a low voice, "Master Zuo came to invite me personally. It would be rather ungrateful of me to refuse.

However, before I join the Nine Swords Alliance, I’d like to ask a favor of you, Master Zuo. Help me kill two people."

"Who does Sect Leader Wei want to kill?"

"Luo the Thirteenth Lang of the Sun-Swapping Alliance, and the loose cultivator from You Province, Chen Tian!"

Wei Guangming said through gritted teeth, "During the Demon Sealing Conference, those two villains deliberately watched as we fell into a death trap, all while they reaped the benefits.

My Iron Armor Sect has been reduced to this state, and those two villains are to blame!"

Wei Guangming asked Zuo Feiyu to help kill Chen Tian, partly because he truly couldn’t swallow this grievance.

But a bigger reason was to test the capabilities of this Nine Swords Alliance and see if they were worthy of his allegiance.

Elder Qi also added viciously, "My four brothers were also killed by this Chen Tian. If you take action, Young Master, you’ll be avenging me as well."

Zuo Feiyu raised an eyebrow slightly and immediately agreed.

"I’ve heard about the matter in Sealed Demon Valley from Daoist Qi. Those two villains are truly detestable, sacrificing the lives of over a thousand Martial Artists for their own selfish gain.

Daoist Qi was the first to join my ranks. Even if you hadn’t mentioned it, Sect Leader Wei, I was already planning to help him get justice.

However, we can’t get to Luo the Thirteenth Lang for now.

On the way here, I sent people to investigate. Luo the Thirteenth Lang has already returned to Yan Province, and my Nine Swords Alliance can’t just go and kill someone right under the Sun-Swapping Alliance’s nose.

But as long as that Chen Tian is still in the Youning Border, I can take his head and vent this frustration for you, Sect Leader Wei, and for Daoist Qi!"

Before coming, Zuo Feiyu knew that an old fox of the Jianghu like Wei Guangming wouldn’t pledge allegiance just because of a few words.

If he wanted the other man to join the Nine Swords Alliance, he had to offer something tangible.

Now, killing a single Independent Martial Artist could secure Elder Qi’s loyalty and bring Wei Guangming and the Iron Armor Sect into the fold. It was quite a bargain.

"Thank you, Young Master!"

Seeing this, Wei Guangming immediately bowed his head in submission.

Zuo Feiyu helped Wei Guangming up, then had Elder Qi gather men to investigate Chen Yuan’s movements and prepare for an ambush.

It was only killing a loose cultivator, so of course, Zuo Feiyu didn’t need to act personally.

On his trip to the Youning Border, he had already gathered many Jianghu Wanderers, as well as some minor powers and minor sects.

These people were desperate to join the Nine Swords Alliance to enhance their own strength.

Once Zuo Feiyu gave the order, this group rubbed their hands in glee, preparing to earn merit in front of their Young Alliance Leader. They all hoped to secure a good position in the Nine Swords Alliance in the future.

...

「In an inn in Ancient Tree Town.」

True Qi circulated around Chen Yuan’s body, golden Buddha Light interweaving with black Demonic Qi in an extremely bizarre display.

After nearly half a month, Chen Yuan had achieved preliminary mastery of the *Sutra of the Pure Glazed Vajra* and the *Other-Transformed Self-Free Celestial Demon Secret Manual*.

Chen Yuan’s realm was still the Qi Casting Realm Middle Stage. The Qi Casting Realm required the accumulation of True Qi, and only when the quality of his True Qi broke through to a new level could he advance further.

Although these two cultivation techniques were powerful, their effects were mainly reflected in combat prowess, so they hadn’t enabled Chen Yuan to break through to the Late Stage.

However, Chen Yuan wasn’t in a hurry.

These two cultivation techniques were a level higher than his previous *Surging Waves and Flowing Clouds Technique*.

By continuing to cultivate and refining the Primordial Pills shrouded in Demonic Qi, Chen Yuan was confident he could step into the Qi Casting Realm Late Stage in two to three months at the least, or four to five months at most.

For daily cultivation, Chen Yuan didn’t need to go into seclusion. He still had to hurry to central Ning Province to join the Ning Province Zhenwu Hall by taking advantage of a plot event.

Ning Province was very peculiar. It was enormous, three times the size of You Province, large enough to rank in the top three of the Great Xia Nineteen Provinces. Its nature was also extremely unique.

Among the Great Xia Nineteen Provinces, nine were nominally under the Court’s jurisdiction, and Ning Province was one of them.

But in reality, only about half of Ning Province truly belonged to the Court.

Ning Province was a land of constant conflict. It was a vital northern passage, bordering the Central Plains to the south and the Grassland to the west. To the east lay Desolate Heaven Ridge, a primordial mountain forest that spanned several provinces and held countless ancient secrets.

Ever since the founding of the Great Xia, Ning Province had never been peaceful. It was always a chaotic place where dragons and snakes mingled.

That was until thirty years ago, when the great tyrant of Ning Province, the ’Chaotic Martial Celestial King’ Chao Hongtu, rose to power. He formed the Celestial Martial Alliance of Ning Province, gathering countless grassroots heroes to seize territory and rebel against the Court.

The Court dispatched a large army to suppress them, but they were all defeated by Chao Hongtu and his Celestial Martial Alliance.

However, Chao Hongtu was different from Zhi Shilang.

From the very beginning, Zhi Shilang had wanted to overthrow the Great Xia Court and usher in a new era.

Chao Hongtu’s bottom line, however, was merely to rule his own territory, so he never completely annihilated the Court’s forces.

Later, the Court sent negotiators, promised Chao Hongtu numerous benefits, and finally succeeded in pacifying this great Jianghu tyrant.

Afterward, the Celestial Martial Alliance was renamed the Ning Province Zhenwu Hall, and Chao Hongtu was enfeoffed as the Grand Commandant of Zhenwu, tasked with guarding Ning Province for generations.

In the Jianghu, opinions on the ’Chaotic Martial Celestial King’ were mixed.

Some said that despite his humble origins, he was able to dominate an entire province and even force the Court to compromise, making him a true titan.

Moreover, with the Zhenwu Hall suppressing Ning Province, the once chaotic region finally enjoyed a period of peace.

Others said that Chao Hongtu was nothing but a coward who accepted amnesty to become the Court’s lapdog, suppressing his fellow martial artists in the Ning Province Jianghu and becoming a disgrace to the Martial World.

All in all, Chao Hongtu’s reputation in the Ning Province Jianghu was one of both fame and infamy. But the Zhenwu Hall’s domination of Ning Province made it the undisputed overlord of the region.

But Chen Yuan didn’t care about what kind of person Chao Hongtu was.

The Zhenwu Hall held a heaven-defying great opportunity, and Chen Yuan had to get his hands on it.